Hello,
My name is Tanya, and my answers to question 3 are the following:
What is the most important characteristic of high quality online learning environments and why it is important?
- I have taught in an online cohort-based moodle environment for the last few years, and there are a few qualities I have experienced as beneficial to a high-quality learning environment. I have found that establishing a safe and respectful environment is paramount when students do not have the benefit of other typical classroom cues. In my experience, responsiveness and patience have also proved to be important instructor qualities as they allow me to bridge the electronic gap that sometimes leaves students feeling “alone” in their learning. Both these qualities seem to better facilitate the trust learners need to establish to effectively engage in the process, and take chances in their learning.????
What is one thing that you have learned about teaching online (or face-to-face if you haven’t taught online) in the last year and how has it impacted your practice?
- I have found that online learning can be very anxiety producing for some students, and this anxiety must be addressed (normally successfully and simply through time, experience, and support within the environment) before students are going to feel comfortable with the course work. I tend to offer a lot of support and increased responsiveness in the beginning to ensure students are able to achieve an early sense of competency. Ironically, this is my first experience with blogging, so I am feeling a lot of that anxiety, and I am hoping to feel some competency soon. ????
What questions do you have about online teaching and learning?
- I have a few questions I am interested in exploring. First, I look forward to learning more about TRU-OL’s teaching and learning environment. Second, I am always interested in exploring issues of assessment and feedback especially in an online environment. Finally, I am very interested in hearing how others have motivated students to engage, keep up, and generally progress through their courses in a timely manner.
I am looking forward to this course.
Tanya ????